Ａｗａｒｄ ｆｏｒ Ｃｏｎｔｒｉｂｕｔｉｏｎｓ ｔｏ Ｃｈｉｎａ－Ａｆｒｉｃａ Ｆｒｉｅｎｄｓｈｉｐ

The Award for Contributions to China-Africa Friendship was set up at the Fourth Council Meeting of the Chinese-African People’s Friendship Association (CAPFA). The award is given to those Chinese and African personages who have been working hard over the years to promote Sino-African friendship and made outstanding contributions and who are influential and well-known both in China and Africa. By doing so the CAPFA hopes to publicize Sino-African friendship， enhance understanding between the people of China and Africa and give impetus to the consolidation and development of the friendly and cooperative relations between China and Africa. Starting this year， the award will be given every three years. Ten winners will be selected each time. The award-conferring ceremony will be held either before or after the meetings of the China-Africa Cooperation Forum. The first Award for Contributions to China-Africa Friendship is named Ten Chinese Who Have Deeply Moved the African People.

The selection of this year’s winners started in February. Recommendation was carried out within the group members of the CAPFA. In August， 14 candidates recommended by 13 departments and organizations including the ministries of foreign affairs， national defence， education， agriculture， culture and health， the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and Zhongken Agricultural Resource Development Co.， Ltd.. From August 28 to September 22， the 116 members of the current CAPFA Council， each with one vote， cast their votes either by fax or e-mail. The Secretariat of the CAPFA received 91 votes， 90 of which were valid. Ten candidates who got the most votes became winners. They are Li Li， Huang Zequan， Liang Yinzhu， Li Yayuan， Jin Hui， Ge Ji， Sun Meifang， Lu Chunming， Hao Yizhong， Peng Feng.

Li Li

Head of the Zhongken Farm in Zambia. Since she accompanied her husband to work in the Zhongken Farm in Zambia in 1992， she has always given her work the highest priority and never returned to China. She used to be a nurse and before coming to Zambia， she knew nothing about agriculture and livestock farming. After years of practice， now she is an expert in these fields. In 2005 her husband passed away in a traffic accident. Facing this sudden misfortune， she turned grief into strength and bravely shouldered the heavy load of running the enterprise， overcame all kinds of unfavourable factors， over fulfilled the production quota， and achieved good economic results. With the growth of its production， the Zhongken Farm is making more and more contributions to the local community. It supplies grain， meat， poultry， eggs and milk for the local market， provides jobs and professional training for the local people， helps the local farm workers settle down and provides means of transportation for school-age children， actively participates in various kinds of charity activities and offers free medicine and medical service for the local people. Thus， she is very much loved and respected by the local people and commended by leaders of the Zambian Government. She has set up a fine image for Chinese enterprises. In 2006 she was conferred upon the title of excellent member of the CPC of the national enterprises by the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission under the State Council.

Huang Zequan

A senior journalist with the People’s Daily and executive vice president of the Chinese Research Society of African Affairs. He has been engaged in publicizing Africa and studying African affairs for a long time. Through diligent work， he has made outstanding achievements， exerted great influence in both China and Africa and made important contributions to the cause of Sino-African friendship. The Chinese authoritative academic organizations appraise him as “a famous expert on African affairs in the African studies circles in China， playing a leading role in African studies.” Some newspapers call him “number one man in China in the study of African affairs”.

Liang Yinzhu

Chinese ambassador to Namibia. Since joining the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1971， he has been engaged in the field of Sino-African relations and served at several Chinese embassies in African countries and made important contributions to promoting Sino-African friendly cooperation and friendship. He has served as deputy director-general of the Department of African Affairs and Chinese ambassador to Nigeria.

Li Yayuan

First grade choreographer and director with the China Oriental Song and Dance Ensemble. She has for years devoted herself to learning， researching， introducing and teaching African dances and taught and introduced Chinese dances to Africa. She has made remarkable contributions to promoting cultural and art exchanges and enhancing mutual understanding and friendship between China and Africa.

Jin Hui

Former deputy director-general of the Foreign Aid Office of the Ministry of Railways. He has worked in Tanzania for 11 years， earnestly carrying out the instructions given by the leaders of the departments concerned. By setting a good example with his own conduct and overcoming difficulties， he led his team in successfully finishing the Tanzania-Zambia Railway’s surveying， designing， construction and technical cooperation， gaining favourable comments from all sides. He has made outstanding contributions to Sino-African friendship and the Tanzania-Zambia Railway.

Ge Ji

Former director of the Institute of West Asian and African Studies under the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. She has made great contributions to spreading knowledge about Africa and promoting exchanges between the scholars of China and African countries. She has written and translated a great number of articles， given lectures abroad many times and attended international academic conferences to have exchanges with foreign scholars. She enjoys great popularity among the scholars studying African affairs. She has served as vice president of the Chinese-African People’s Friendship Association for many years.

Sun Meifang

Deputy head doctor of the Department of Gynecology of the Shanghai No. 8 People’s Hospital. She worked with the Chinese medical team in aid of Morocco from 2001 to 2003. In December 2003， she was commended “advanced individual in the country’s medical aid to foreign countries” for her outstanding work by the Ministry of Health， the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Commerce.

Lu Chunming

General manager of the Beijing Holley-Cotec Pharmaceuticals Co.， Ltd.. In order to introduce Cotecxin， a new anti-malaria medicine to African market， he went deep into Africa and stayed there several years， overcame numerous unimaginable difficulties and even tried this medicine on himself to prove its miraculous effect. After more than ten years’ efforts made by Lu Chunming and his colleagues， Cotecxin is recognized by the World Health Organization as the only safe and effective new anti-malaria medicine in the world today and has become China’s famous brand medicine generally acknowledged in the medical circles in Africa and the world as well. Cotecxin with its remarkable anti-malaria effects has not only saved numerous lives of the African people， but also become a tie of friendship between China and Africa. It has been chosen many times as a state gift or one of the materials in aid of African countries when Chinese leaders or leading officials of the departments concerned visit Africa， making outstanding contributions to strengthening Sino-African political friendly relations and promoting Sino-African economic and trade cooperation of mutual benefits.

Hao Yizhong

Deputy general manager of the China Civil Engineering Corporation. During his 8 years’ work in Africa， he earnestly carried out the policies of the Chinese central authorities， overcame all kinds of difficulties and led his team in successfully fulfilling foreign aid tasks. He was received many times by presidents and government leaders of Botswana， Djibouti， Tanzania and Nigeria and forged deep friendship with some of the leaders. He has contributed greatly to the promotion of Sino-African friendship.

Peng Feng

Asenior colonel at the Headquarters of the General Staff. He took part in the UN peacekeeping missions in Africa respectively in 1994 and 1997， serving as military observer of the UN Operation in Mozambique and commander of southern region of the UN Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara. He fulfilled his task well， devoted himself to his duty， worked hard and stood tests of life and death and has made outstanding contributions to the peace in Africa and friendship between China and Africa.